Game 5’s Teixless (and toothless?) lineup, and pregame.

The lack of clutch, situational hitting makes you miss Godzilla. From the Post:

in the past three games — five runs and a combined 6-for-39 (.154) with runners in scoring position

Swish and Teix didn’t do much in last year’s postseason but the Yanks (esp. Matsui in the WS; Damon, too) were able to overcome.

I can understand the thought process of letting Godzilla and JD go, but others needed to step up (Teix, Swish). They didn’t.

Be sure to check out this excellent piece on Posada by Joel Sherman. Exactly what I’d like in 2011. Posada full-time DH, 3rd string catcher, catches every so often. Montero getting time at C and DH with Cervelli getting most of the time at catcher until Montero proves he can catch everyday. Berkman will most likely be gone anyway.

Whoever Texas’ scouts are, give them credit for a great scouting report, and give the Rangers credit for executing it.

Speaking of execution (to quote the late John McKay), the Yankees fans are all for it…in regards to a few players right now.

We await the lineup announcement.

Strained right hammy for Teixeira. Done for the year. I’d bat Robbie 3rd, even against the lefty. Hell, with 3 HR, he’s the only one hitting. Isn’t the old adage, that you bat your best hitter 3rd?

I mentioned about Melky being released. I predicted his HR would drop once out of Yankee Stadium and in Atlanta. They did. From 13 to 4. 68 RBI to 42. I knew he would drop off, just not how much. Nice backup OF. Plays all three positions. Not a regular player. As I mentioned, I’d take him back, but only for backup OF.

The Phils face a situation kind of like the Yanks had last night. Down 2-1 they are going with Joe Blanton instead of Halladay on short rest, and like the Yankees, the Phils are struggling with the sticks. Blanton wasn’t as bad as A.J. this year, but he wasn’t much better.

Shades of Hinckley, Jodie Foster and President Reagan. A nutcase ran on the field wanting to confront A-Rod about Cameron Diaz. Apparently this guy had delusions of himself and her. There’s more delusions. The guy’s nuts.

Personally, I am glad to see Cano at 3, despite the lefty Wilson on the mound. With Teix out, you need him there. Not much else you can do. One thing I would have done which Girardi didn’t do was to move Gardner to the leadoff spot, drop Jeter to 2 and drop Swisher to 8 (with Granderson 9). I mean, Swish is 4 for 44 or thereabouts vs. Texas this year. But he’s staying at 2?

The lowdown for hitters vs. Wilson and CC can be found in the Game 1 preview.

In addition to the dearth of situational hitting, I’d add (and it relates) that the Yankees this year have lurched far away from taking the ball the other way. Other than Jeter and Gardner, who does with any regularity? JD and to a degree Matsui did it much more regularly and, with runners on, exposed holes in defenses. They were clutch and tough to defend against. This team has become far too pull-heavy once again, including A-Rod and Cano, hurting the former of late, clearly not the latter.

What exacerbates this is Teixeira. While always a pull hitter, his swing adjustments had a double-edge-sword effect. On the one hand, opening his stance allowed him to see the ball more fully and to move his weight toward the ball better. On the other, that stance worsened his tendency to strictly pull. Especially as a lefty, it means the shift becomes all the more prevalent and effective against him. I love the guy, and he is one of the best three gloves at first I’ve ever seen. But I fear that his pull hitting is going to remain a big problem for the team in the coming years.

Connected to this, the team seems to swing for the fences far too often again. They need to get back to stringing together hits.